Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oil of Chinese Propolis

Abstract

The chemical composition and in vitro antioxidant activity of the essential oil of propolis (EOP) collected from 25 locations in China was investigated. Steam-distillation extraction was used to extract the EOP, and chemical composition was identified by GC/MS. The antioxidant activities of EOP were also measured. The result showed that a total of 406 compounds were detected in EOP. The major compounds of Chinese EOP were cedrol, γ-eudesmol, benzyl alcohol, phenethyl alcohol, 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, 3,4-dimethoxystyrene and guaiol. Principal component analysis revealed the significant correlation between EOP compositions and their origins, and certain correlation was detected between EOP and their color. Linear discriminant analysis showed that 88 % and 84 % of the propolis samples were predicted correctly as the groupings identified by climatic zone and the color, respectively. Furthermore, the differences of antioxidant activities of EOP were significant. EOP of Shandong had the strongest antioxidant activities, whereas EOP of Guangdong, Yunnan and Hunan showed the poorest.

Apitherapy for Age-Related Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction (Sarcopenia): A Review on the Effects of Royal Jelly, Propolis, and Bee Pollen

“…Essential/volatile oils are major bioactive constituents of propolis, and they contribute to its special aroma [ 79 , 80 ]. They also, partially, contribute to the strong antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities of propolis [ 79 , 81 , 82 ]. The volatile fraction of propolis varies in each sample even within a single country due to plant source and climate [ 79 ].…”

“…They also, partially, contribute to the strong antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities of propolis [ 79 , 81 , 82 ]. The volatile fraction of propolis varies in each sample even within a single country due to plant source and climate [ 79 ]. For instance, cumulative knowledge shows that volatile oils in propolis found in countries surrounding the Mediterranean depend mainly on the botanical origin.…”

“…Interestingly, the number of volatile compounds derived from a single type of propolis is also reported to vary according to extraction techniques. In this regard, reports from China show that traditional hydrodistillation, steam-distillation extraction, and dynamic headspace sampling could characterize around 12, 40 and 70 type of volatile components of propolis, respectively [ 79 ]. Moreover, the level of antimicrobial activity of volatile compounds of propolis greatly depends on their extent of purification [ 82 ].…”

Chemical Composition of Volatile Compounds in Apis mellifera Propolis from the Northeast Region of Pará State, Brazil

“…In total, 87 compounds were identified, demonstrating the diverse chemical composition of the volatile compounds in the propolis. Chi et al [ 25 ] identified approximately 406 compounds, mainly comprising monoterpenes, phenol alcohols, sesquiterpenoids, acid esters, aldoketones, and hydrocarbons. However, in the present study, the predominant classes were sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (80.6–89.2%), followed by oxygenated monoterpenes (3.6–8.4%).…”

Sesquiterpene Alcohol Cedrol Chemosensitizes Human Cancer Cells and Suppresses Cell Proliferation by Destabilizing Plasma Membrane Lipid Rafts

“…Cedrol is a natural crystalline sesquiterpene alcohol found in the essential oil of conifers especially cedar wood ( Juniperus virginiana ). The antioxidant activity of the essential oil of propolis containing cedrol was detected recently ( Chi et al, 2020 ). The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of cedrol polymorphs were associated with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in a mouse paw edema model induced by xylene ( Wang et al, 2019 ).…”